Saturday, September 22, 2012

NFL Picks: Week 3

WEEK 3 PICKSBears over the Rams
Chicago is feeling pretty good about themselves this week after getting Michael Bush in the off-season as another option in the backfield. Forte is injury prone and as much as he resented the Bush signing and the touches Bush will take from him, it was a good move for the Bears. I like Bush; he runs hard and is shiftier than you might think.

Browns over the Bills
I was impressed by Brandon Wheedon's ability to bounce back from a dreadful first start in week 1. He was more than respectable, he was actually pretty good. However, Trent Richardson was more than pretty good; he was awesome and gives Brown fans hope that they've got a star in the backfield. Hope those knees of his are ok.

Cowboys over the Bucs
Which Cowboy team shows up?

Jets over the Dolphins
We don't really have any idea after 2 weeks if these teams are actually any good. They look like probable 7-9 or 6-10 teams. It was nice to see Reggie Bush flash some old moves this past week. Maybe he's right and he just needed the chance and the right situation to thrive.49ers over the Vikings
San Fran looks like the team to beat early on.

Saints over the Chiefs
What's that odor? ...oh yeah ...that's desperation in the air. Bengals over the Redskins
They're in D.C. this week and everyone loves Griffin, but maybe Andy Dalton shows last year wasn't a total fluke.Lions over the Titans
I just want Chris Johnson to shut up.Colts over the Jags
Where was rookie receiver Blackmon last week? They need to target those insanely huge hands of his.Eagles over the Cardinals
Am I crazy to think that the Eagles can't play much worse than they have the past two weeks? They don't have to give back their ugly wins. But they should.

Falcons over the Chargers
Norv Turner is 2 and 0 to start the season. Is the apocalypse next?

Texans over the Broncos
Took us only a week to declare Manning old and armless. Should be a roller coaster with him this season as he tries to get the old magic back. I've been watching Manning closely for many years and the criticism of his arm strength and inability to throw effectively past 15-20 yards is a valid one. However, the deep pass has not been his strength for awhile now. His previous two seasons before the injury the Colt offense was essentially a grind it out down the field type team. Albeit that grinding was with 5 yard receiver screens, 10 yard outs, and 15 yard slants instead of a running game, but to rip on Manning for not throwing the deep ball well is to misunderstand where he is as a QB in his career. Yes the neck injury has robbed him of arm strength but I think he would have been done throwing deep effectively regardless. Don't count him out though. Manning will figure out what he can and can't do soon enough and there will be an adjustment. He'll want to do what works. If that's 10 yard hooks then so be it.

Steelers over the Raiders
Biggest surprise of the season for me so far: An ineffective Darren McFadden. He's not injured is he? Because that wouldn't be a surprise.Patriots over the Ravens
What a pleasant gift it was to see the Cardinals take down the Pats at home last week. How the hell did that happen? In this game it will be the QB who says he's the best in the game (Flacco) against the QB who could legitimately make that claim.Packers over the Seahawks
I did like how the Pack got Cedric Benson involved last week but it's definitely time for some Green Bay explosiveness don't you think? Nobody throws a prettier deep ball than Aaron Rodgers.Last Week: 10-6Overall: 16-16 (.500)